Source:  CBS 5,  KPHO Broadcasting Corporation, Phoenix, AZ

In the cyberworld we live in, we are constantly vulnerable.  Our bank accounts and computers can easily be hacked into, but what about our electricity meters?

Many utility companies are replacing aging meters with new digital ones, saying it helps customers see how much energy they’re consuming day to day.  But one Phoenix resident said he wants his old analog meter back from APS because he’s worried a bored hacker or even terrorist group could cut off his power.

“It never occurred to me that this meter is really part of a computer network,” said Richard Gayer.  “If they can turn off your power from a central computer then a hacker who maybe once worked for APS or has some buddies or just is a good hacker can turn off your power.”

Gayer paid APS $50 to get his old meter back, and will also pay a $5 fee each month for an employee to read his meter.

“Every department store has been hacked, the Home Depot has been hacked, the Defense Department has been hacked, there is no one who is immune,” Gayer said.

“Anybody with a moderate amount of security or computer knowledge could accomplish what was done there,” said cybersecurity expert Brady Willis, speaking of instances where smart meters have been hacked to drive down costs, like those reportedly in Puerto Rico in 2010.

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The above information is consistent with more detailed prior articles posted at this website, such as:

• We Have a “Totally Vulnerable” Electric Grid Infrastructure
• Smart Grid Cyber Security in a State of Chaos and Deteriorating
• New Report – Smart Grid More Vulnerable to Remote Cyber Attacks
• Cyber Hackers Can Now “Harm Human Life” Through Smart Meters
• Smart Meters Are Not Secured
• Smart Meters Can Be Hacked to Order a Power Blackout
• Smart Meters Spiral Out of Control and “Livin’ on a Prayer”